D2525. Blue and White Compartmented Dish

Delft, circa 1690

Marked AK in blue for Adrianus Kocx, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701

Formed with a central circular blue-ground well reserved with peonies encircled by a herringbone-and-dot border and surrounded by four slightly fan-shaped wells painted alternately with flowering plants or sprays of chrysanthemums within a dentil border on the lobed edge.

DIMENSIONS
Diameter 22.2 cm. (8.7 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Kitty Valkier-Schreurs Collection, Belgium;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam;
The Dr. Günther Grethe Collection, Hamburg

LITERATURE
Described and illustrated in Aronson 2004, p. 69, no. 80

NOTE
The concept of compartmentalized serving ware can be traced back to medieval banqueting traditions, where communal dining from large serving dishes was the norm. As culinary practices advanced during the Renaissance, especially in Italy and France, there was a growing emphasis on presenting and separating foods in a more decorative manner. This shift aligned with the rise of ‘Dining à la française,’ where an array of dishes was presented simultaneously on an elaborate dining table. This style of dining called for a practical yet refined method to serve a variety of foods, leading to the use of compartmentalized dishes. These dishes made it possible to present different types of food, such as sauces and side dishes, together while keeping them separate. This style gained popularity in the French courts and gradually spread across Europe, shaping the design and use of tableware.

For servants, compartmentalized dishes also offered practical benefits, streamlining the process of serving multiple foods quickly and efficiently. Instead of making numerous trips or using separate dishes for each item, a single, well-organized compartment dish could present several items at once.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A dish of the same shape, with a diameter of 36 cm. (14.2 in.) and also marked AK, is depicted by Hans Ressing in “Delftware at Dyrham Park,” Vormen uit Vuur 173, p. 17, no. 17. It is also illustrated in Vrienden van de Nederlandse Ceramiek 48, p. 13, ill. 7; and in Sven T. Kjellberg’s Holländsk fajans i Kulturen, Lund 1935, p. 42.